Corn and cotton planter and fertilizer-distributer.



No. 692,536.v A y' Patented Feb. 4, |902.

n. M. ALnmuGE.

CORN AND COTTON PLANTEH AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

(Application filed Apr. 1l 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets'Sheet I.,

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No. 692,586. Patented Feb. 4, |902.

RQ M. ALDRIDGE.

CORN AND CDTTON PLANTEB AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTEB.

(Appucatioh filed Apr. 1, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(NoModel.)

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3 nuawfoz UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

REUBEN M. ALDRIDGE, OF WALTI-IALL, MISSISSIPPI.`

CORN AND COTTON PLANTER AND FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,586, dated February 4, 1 902.

Application tiled April 1, 1901.

To all whom tm/tty concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN M. ALDRIDGE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Walthall, in the county of Webster and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn and Cotton Planters and Fertilizer-Distributers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.l

a top plan view of a planter embodying the' features of my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 1 and on line @o :o thereof. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical section through one of the hoppers. Fig. 4 represents a perspective View of my improved planter, the cotton-seed and `fertilizer distributer hopper being illustrated as attached thereto. Fig. 5 represents a top plan Viewv of the same, and Fig. 6 represents a det-ail perspective view of one of the slide-operating cam-blocks.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a framework of anysuitable construction, and 2 the wheels therefor, said framework preferably comprising in part two parallel longitudinal beams, as 3 `3,provided with a cross-beam, as 4', carrying any suitable draft apparatus, as 5. To the draft-pole 5 is preferably secured in any suitable Vmanner a standard carrying a shovel ortooth of any preferred construction, as 6, ,which is adapted to open a furrow into which 'the seed or fertilizer isy adapted to be dropped, and at Serial No. 53,984. (No model.)

lA shaft or axle, as 11, extends transverselyv of the frame 1 and is adapted to receive thev ,wheels 2, which shaft finds any suitable bearings in said frame for the support thereof. The said shaft 11 is provided between the innerside of one of wheels 2 and the vertical plane of the outerside of the beam 3`with a crank, as 12, which is adaptedto move with the revolution of the wheels and to pass said beam 3 without contact. UponV each wheel 2 and removably secured to the inner side thereof are provided a plurality of cam-blocks, as 13 13, which blocks are preferably arranged two upon each wheel, diametrically opposite each other upon each wheel, and the wheels are keyed or otherwise secured to shaft 11 with such relation to each other that the blocks 13 upon'one wheel are always opposite the center of the space between the blocks 13 upon the other wheel, whereby one of said blocks 13 will appear above 'shaft ll and in the-vertical plane Vthereof at each quarter-revolution of said shaft, thesaidblocks appearing alternately upon the opposite sides of said frame 1. The blocks 13 upon the wheel corresponding with the end of the'shaft 11, provided with crank 12,-are removably secured to said wheel contiguous to said crank, the said crank not affecting the operation of said blocks." Any.

suitable handles, as 14, may be secured to frame 1 in any suitable manner. 'Io this frame 1 with its attached parts, as just described, is adapted to be interchangeably applied a corndropping hopper or a cotton-seed and fertilizer-distrib'uterhopper,whereby by the simple substitution of hoppers a plurality of operations may be obtained from the same general mechanism.

For the planting of corn I provide a hop- ICG per, as 15, which is provided with a primary 4 bottom, as,16whose edges extend to the vertical planes of the sides of said hopper, a second bottom, as 17, having its lateral `edges in the same plane with the corresponding edges of the primary bottom and the front and rear edges extending slightly beyond said primary bottom, as at 17 17', and a third bottom, as 1S, which extends a corresponding distance tothe front as the second bottom and preferably extends a considerable distance to the rear, said third bottom being of less width than the other two bottoms, whereby it is adapted to snugly t between said parallel beams 3 when the hopper 15 is in position upon the frame 1, whereby lateral movement of the hopper is obviated, the extensions 17 17 at the same time being retained beneath the lugs 8 S and the buttons 9 9, the second bottom 17 resting upon said beams 3. The primary bottom 16 is preferably formed of two pieces, the inner edges of which are left far enough apart to form a transverse slot in which a slide, as 19, is adapted to operate, which slide is preferably of a width to fit snugly within said slot, whereby material within the hopper cannotenter the slot. Slide 19 is preferably provided with rounded or semcircular ends and with perforations, as 2O 20, intermediate its length. A strip of material, as 21, preferably metal, is arranged above slide 19 and transversely thereof,which strip in operation prevents any material of greater thickness than the thickness of slide 19 to remain in either aperture 2O while said slide is passed beneath said strip 21. The second bottom 17 is also provided with a slot, as 22, which extends from the rear edge thereof to a point a short distance beyond the front edge of the slot in the primary bottom, and a slide, as 23, is adapted to fit snugly therein, the said slide 23 being imperforate and preferably provided with a notch or other suitable means for facilitating the withdrawal of the same. 'lhe third bottom 1S is provided with an aperture, as 25, which is adapted to register at all times with the squared aperture produced by the crossing of the slots in the primary and second bottoms, the slide 23 being adapted when the machine is not in operation to be passed fully within the slot in the second bottom, and thereby prevent the dropping of material from the hopper, and to be withdrawn when seed is to be dropped from the hopper, whereby by movement of slide 19 to a position permitting one of apertures 2O to register with the slot in the second bottom a grain of corn or other seed may be dropped through the aperture in the second bottom and through registering aperture 25 of the third bottom and thence to the ground.

For the sowing of cotton-seed or the distribution of fertilizer I contemplate applying to the frame 1 a slightly-different form of dropping mechanism, and it will of course be understood that l may employ for any of the operations any preferred form of hopper with its sides shaped and positionedas may be preferred. For the last-mentioned operation I provide a suitable hopper, as 26, which is provided with a bottom, as 27, the edges of which extend beyond the end walls of the hopper and are adapted to pass beneath lugs S 8 and be secured by buttons 9 9, the said bottom resting upon the longitudinal parallel beams 3. The ends of bottom 27 are adapted to be support-ed by cross-bars, as 2S 28, which crossbars are of a length to [it snugly between beams 3, whereby the hopper 26 is firmly held in position upon the frame 1. A slot, as 29, is provided in the bottom 27 and runs longitudinally thereof. Within the hopper 27 are provided strips, as 30 30, extending longitudinally of slot 29 and provided with adjustingslots 31 3l and screws 32 32, whereby the width of said slot 29 may be increased or decreased, as desired. Journaled in any suitable bearings near the top of hopper 26 is provided a shaft, as 33, which is adapted to carry any suitable number of stirrer-arms, as 34, and which is provided upon its reduced end, extending beyond the wall of hopper 26,with a crank, as 35, which crank is adapted to carry a pitman, as 3G, the pitman in operation being secured at its opposite end to crank 12.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved interchangeable seedplanter and fertiliZer-distributer will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. To use my improved planter as a corn-planter, the cam-blocks being secured to the wheels as described, I simply place hopper 15 upon the frame by passing the front projecting portion 17 of the bottom 17 beneath lugs 8 8 and turn buttons 9 9 above the rearwardly-projecting portion 17, whereby the hopper is firmly and securely held upon the frame 1. The slide 211- is withdrawn and the machine is in condition for planting corn, the cam-blocks being adapted to contact their curved faces with the curved ends of slide 19 alternately, whereby said slide will be thrown back and forth at each half-revolution of each wheel, thereby dropping the corn from within the hopper.

Should it be desired to stop the dropping op-V eration at any time, all that is necessary is to press slide 21 fully within its slot and the dropping-aperture is closed.

From the position of the elements just described to form a cotton-seed planter or fertilizer-distributer of my improved planter the hopper 15 is removed by turning the buttons 9 9 and releasing the parts, and hopper 26 is adjusted to the position previously occupied by hopper 15, the operation of securing hopper 26 upon frame 1 being the same as that in securing hopper 15. When hopper 26 has been secured upon frame 1, the camblocks 13 are removed from the wheel 2, corresponding with the side of the frame upon which crank 12 is found, and the pitman 36 is secured to said crank in any suitable manner, but preferably by having a slot, as 37, running centrally longitudinally thereof, which gives a spring effect to the bifurcated parts, which may be spread to admit said crank 12 to an aperture in the lower end of ICO 'loq

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tions of wheels 2and shaft 1l through the medium of the pitman 36`and cranks 12 and 35,

whereby material within hopper 26 will be kept loose and dropping through slot 29.

Among the many advantages of my im-v provement is the provision of cam-blocks upon the wheels, which are adapted rto strike the corn-dropping slide directly and give the same a positive movement.`

Having thus fully described my invention,v

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A planter, comprising in itsconstruotion a framework, traction-wheels supporting the same, rearwardly-extending lugs carried by said framework adapted to securely hold A the front edge of `a hopper, pivoted buttons 'secured to the frame and adapted to engage and` retain the rear edge of a hopper, aplurality of hoppers having forwardly and rearwardly extending flanges for engaging said lugs and buttons so as to be capable of interchangeable application to said framework, one of said hoppers only being applied at a time, means within each of said hoppers for dropping the material contained thereby, and means for operating said dropping means, substantially as described.

2. A planter comprising a framework su pported by suitablewheels, a hopper carried by said framework, and having a slotted primary bottom, an apertured secondary bottom, the edges thereof extendingbeyondthe edges of the primary bottom, means carried by 4said framework for engaging said, projecting edges for retaining said secondary bottom in, position, a slide operating in the slot of said primary bottom for carrying the contents of said hopperv into register with the aperture of the secondary bottom, and means 4 carried by said wheels for operating .said slide, substantially as` described.

3. A planter, comprising a frameworkhaving longitudinal, parallel beams, and wheels supporting the framework, a hopper carried by said framework, consistingr of suitable sides, a slotted primary bottom, a slide moving in said slot, an apertured secondary bottom, having its front and rear edges projecting beyond the edges of said primary bottom, and a third bottom formed with an aperture registering with .the aperture of the secondary bottom, the said third bottom being secured to and of less width than the secondary bottom and adapted to fit between saidiparallel beams for preventing lateral movement of the hopper, the secondary bottom resting uponl said framework, means carried-bythe framework for retaining said secondary-bottom l, against longitudinal movement, and

means for operating said slide for bringing the contents .of the hopper into register with the apertures of the secondary and third bottoms, substantially as described.

4. A planterv comprising a suitableframework supported by traction-wheels, a hopper supported upon said framework having sides,

a slotted primary bottom, a secondary bottombeneath the primary bottom and formed with an elongated aperture extending transversely of the slot of the primary bottormav slide operating within said aperture and adapted to close the same, a slide operating in the slot of said primary bottom and adapted to carry a quantity ofthe contents of said hopper into register with the aperture of the secondary bottom, means for limiting said quantity, and means for operating the slide of said primary bottom, substantially as described. j r

5. Aplanter, comprisingaframe work,traction-wheels at eitherside thereof carryingthe same, an axle connecting and rigidly secured to said wheels and supporting said framework a crank-formed in the length of said axlelnear one of said wheels, camblocks secured to the wheel at thecrankend of said axle having their flat faces resting against'saidy crank, cam-blocks carried by the opposite wheel on that diameter of the wheel opposite that of the first-mentioned wheel occurring. between the cam-blocks thereof, `whereby rotation ofV said wheels will present alternate cam-blocks at each quarter-revolution, a hopper mountedk to be alternately. struck byy the said cann-V blocks, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REUBEIW M. ALDRVIDGE; Witnesses: l l

WM. P. Porn, H. A. GoULD.

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